RESTLESS
Restless-Episode 35
Story By
Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel.
Richard widened his eyes and slowly turned his gaze to the ground. He remembered Eddy instantly. He recalled how he had gotten news of Eddy’s sudden abduction by a gambling partner from his clubhouse and how he was found dead several days after. He hadn’t taken more than a minute to feel sorry about Eddy’s death and he in no way thought it could be connected to him.
He wondered now if Henry was one of the men who worked with Eddy in killing the two Agents. He flashed a look again at Henry’s face and racked his brain to remember who he is. Suddenly like a flash through his mind, he remembered having seen the face displayed on a large screen several times, the last time being during the search, for confirmation of Carl Winston’s death.
He raised his head back slowly and stared at Henry’s face. He knew indeed that there was trouble and there was no way he was going to get out of it. Carl Winston was back just like Hutton envisaged.“
Looks like you are hiding something,” Henry said, staring at him with raised eyebrows.
Richard heaved a sigh of frustration and turned his face down.
“If you continue this way, I’d need to force out what I want from you the hard way.” Henry threatened.
“You are not going to get whatever you want Carl Winston!” Richard raised his head and snapped at him.
Henry raised his brows slowly. “You know who I am,” he said and chuckled. “But you’re very wrong, I’m gonna get everything I want.”
“No one is going to tell you anything. I’m not going to tell you, neither would anyone else release information to you.”
“I’m here to force it out from you,” Henry replied.
Richard chuckled. “I know I’m getting death judgement from you whether I talk or not, so how else do you think you can force me to speak?”
Henry shook his head and smiled calmly. He flashed a look at Samantha and made a signal. She nodded in agreement and proceeded out of the room.
“You know, I’ve decided not to kill you, I want you to experience the same thing other men whose families have perished through the hands of the Red Wolves did. I’ll kill your family members one after the other while you watch them die,” Henry said slowly with a tormenting smile.
Richard chuckled confidently. “You cannot find any member of my family, I took precaution long before this day.”
“You think so?” Henry smiled at him.
Richard frowned as a thought popped up on his mind. He began to wonder how his location was gotten and how they knew he would be there at that time. As usual, information about his movement had been kept secret from everybody except his son who was supposed to meet him in his mansion that morning. So he began to wonder if Carl Winston could get to his family whom he has secretly hidden out of the country.
He was still pondering when the door flung open and Samantha walked holding some metallic fetters with her.
Henry took out his gun and pointed at him. “Cooperate with her,” he ordered. “Else I won’t kill you yet, but only cause severe pains for you.”
Samantha pulled the man’s two hands to the back of the chair. She handcuffed him and also cuffed his two legs together, passing the chains through the legs and brace of the chair in such a way his legs cannot be moved without the chair following.
Henry delivered a straight punch to Richard’s nose immediately Samantha was done binding him. Richard fell back straight in the chair with a loud scream.
Henry pulled him back immediately and forced him to stay upright. “That’s not for making you talk, it’s just a little ceremony until what would make you talk arrives.” Henry said and punched him twice harder in the belly and on his chest. The chair shook but Henry stopped it from falling again. He stretched out his palm to Samantha and she dropped an ampoule and syringe in it. He knelt beside Richard as he broke off the cover of the ampoule. He pulled in the liquid from the ampoule into tge syringe and flung the empty ampoule to the floor.
He moved away the part of the robe covering Richard’s lap and positioned the syringe to inject him. Richard shook his legs in a bid to make the injection difficult. Henry turned his face slowly up and looked him in the eyes for a moment, then he suddenly drove the syringe into his lap, making the man scream out loud. He handed over the syringe to Samantha and then pulled Richard with the backrest of the chair to the wall at the left side. He made the backrest of the chair lean against the wall. He made a signal to Samantha and then began to punch Richard continuously.
Samantha walked out of the room and returned two minutes later, leaving the door opened as she walked in. Seconds after, Dave wheeled in an unconscious man tied in a wheelchair.
Richard’s face was already covered with bruises and his mouth was swollen, blood was also dripping down his nostrils. He stared with a blurry vision as Henry cleared the way for the unconscious man being wheeled in.
Richard eyes widened in shock and he flashed a quick pitiful look at Henry’s face. Sitting in the wheelchair was his only son, looking unconscious and helpless. He tried to get up but he fell to the ground, the cuffs on his legs kept him bound to the legs of the chair. He pulled him up by the shoulder and delivered a punch to his jaw before putting him back on the seat.
“Stop being ungrateful Richard, he came from London and wanted to see you but we’ve brought him to the right place to meet you.” Henry smirked. “It’s a pity that you would be the cause of his death, but I’m sure it wouldn’t sadden you because you’ve seen others die without being moved.”
“What the hell do you want from me?” Richard said with so much desperation, the swelling in his mouth made his words not too clear.
Henry smiled at his frustration. “Answer my questions, one after the other, and answer them truthfully.”
“I swear to you, none of the information you would get from me can take you far.”
“Damn you dude! It’s not your business what the information you give does for me,” Henry threatened.
Richard took in a deep breath and then stared at his son’s face. “I hope you haven’t done anything to him yet,” he asked and stared at Henry’s face.
“We would make sure he never wakes from his slumber if you keep asking stupid questions.”
Richard glanced at again at his son, he closed his eyes hoping to hold in the pain he was feeling all over his body for a moment. He then opened his eyes and stared at Henry’s face. “Ask your questions.”
“How long have you been working with the Red Wolves?” Henry began.
“Nine years.”
“Is that how long the Red Wolves have been existing for?”
“I don’t know how long we’ve existed for, I got in 2007.”
“How did you get in?”
“A friend I shared my business idea with told me he had some people that would be interested in investing in my idea.”
“Who is this your friend?”
“John Ken, he’s dead now.”
Henry remained quiet for a while. “So how did they help you in your business?”
“They helped with start up capital for my companies with request for very little returns in profit.”
“So what did they request for instead of returns of high profit?”
“Recruitment, they set up a system to recruit young professionals from other companies through mine.”
“And what are these young professionals used for?”
“They are tricked into a well designed trap and are forced to install explosive devices in the building of their company.”
At that moment, the young man on the wheelchair stirred and Richard looked alarmed. Richard heaved a sigh of relief after he continued sleeping.
“Please, take him away. He doesn’t have to see me here,” Richard begged.
“The solution used to sedate him wasn’t highly concentrated and he would wake up any moment from now,” Henry replied. He raised a side of his lips as an evil smile appeared on his face. “That’s why you have to tell me all I need quickly, so that we can take him away from here.”
“What other things do you need to know?” Richard snapped.
“When the Red Wolves started, what their next plan is, their pattern of operation, names of their top members…”
“Please, one after the other, I can’t keep all in my head at once.” Richard cut him. He sniffed in deeply and spewed out something from his swollen mouth to the floor.
“When did the Red Wolves begin?” Henry asked.
“I told you already, I have no idea.”
“And you did not bother to ask all through the nine years you worked with them?”
“We are not allowed to ask questions, we only follow instructions. Once you get involved in the Red Wolves, whether willingly or through a trick, you must learn to enjoy their instructions whether you like them or not.” Richard replied.
Henry stared thinly at his wounded face for a second as if to question the truthfulness in his answers.
“Tell me who the top members are, how can I reach them?”
Richard hesitated for a while until he saw his son stir again.
“They’re difficult to find, I’ve barely met any of them…”
Henry stared at him with suspicious eyes. “You’ve rarely seen any of them and they are in partnership with you?”
“Yes,” Richard answered. “I was supposed to meet with them next week but it won’t be possible anymore.”
“I don’t get it, you’ve not met with any of your major partners?”
“Yes, I haven’t. They only send representatives, ” Richard insisted. “They never meet me in person.”
“Oh! That’s the same way you operate, you never meet anyone in person too.”
“Yes, for the past five years. I haven’t met with anyone to strike a partnership, I always send representatives.”
“And why do you do this?”
“I’m yet to understand fully, I was instructed to start living that way since I began my partnership with them. The only thing I know is that it keeps me away from public eyes.”
“I see…” Henry voiced and nodded slowly and thoughtfully. “So, how can I find these representatives who were sent to you?”
“I have their contacts, but they can only be found in my office and in my devices which aren’t here with me.”
“Do you use google backups for your devices?”
“No, that’s risking my valuable information to a third party. I used the app developed by the Red Wolves.”
“Google doesn’t share your private data.”
“But they have my private data, I don’t trust them, the Red Wolves do not.”
“You said you were supposed to meet with them next week, where and what time was it scheduled to take place?”
“Here in Bethanna, I haven’t been sent the specific location yet. It’s obvious it wouldn’t hold anymore because the news of my abduction would have gotten to them.”
Henry was silent for a moment.
“So you insist you haven’t met any of the top leaders?”
“I haven’t,” Richard replied boldly. “Do you have more questions please? You need to get him away from here before he wakes.”
Henry was getting more suspicious of his answers but he had no opposing answers yet and there was no proof that Richard was lying. He didn’t expect it to be easy even after injecting him with the drug. For someone so hardened, it usually took more than the drug to break them and that was why they had Richard’s son there. However, it wasn’t still certain that Richard wasn’t giving just any answers different from the truth, only to keep his son alive.
“What’s the next move for the invisible terrorists?” Henry asked.
“I have no idea what it is, we haven’t been recruiting for a while and that is what my main job is.” Richard answered.
“You lie Richard, tell me why you are in Bethanna?”
“To meet with my son, we’ve not seen each other for a long time.” Richard answered with a cough.
“You came here for some other reason, your son had plans to lodge in an hotel before he spoke to you and found out that you are in Bexford.”
Richard lowered his eyes desperately. He needed to find something to respond with before Henry got fully convinced he was hiding the truth.
The door flung open at that moment and diverted their attention. Cole walked in briskly. He was putting on brown shorts which stopped just above his knees and a white T-shirt. He had a one side earphone plugged in his left ear. Richard widened his eyes in shock as he recognized his phone as one of the devices in Cole’s hands.
“Boss, I need you to see and listen to this.” Cole gestured towards Henry.
Henry turned to answer him. Cole fixed an earpiece into Henry’s ear and played an audio from the device, at the same time showing him something on the screen.
It took Cole about five minutes to finish communicating his message to Henry.
The look on Henry’s face when he turned back got Richard trembling. Henry flashed a look at Dave and made a signal. Dave cocked a gun and placed it on the chest of Richard’s son.
Richard trembled all over and tried to get up from his seat but fell on his knees again. Henry picked him up quickly and landed him two quick blows. He made him settle on the seat and grabbed his neck.
“You keep on lying and that bullet enters into the chest of your son soon.” Henry threatened before taking his hands off his neck. “Who is Jenson and what order is he waiting for?”
Richard stared at Henry’s face shakily. He knew he had been caught this time and any other careless lie could cost him the life of his son. He glanced in direction of his son for a moment and then glanced back at Henry’s face.
Henry turned briefly to Dave and gave him a signal with the nod of his head. Dave cocked the gun.
“Don’t please, I’ll tell you what you need,” Richard pleaded in a pitiful voice. He stared at Henry’s face again and seemed to consider the options he had.
“Damn you! Start talking,” Henry barked at him.
“Henson is a manager in one of my firms, he needs my orders to sign a deal.” Richard lied.
“Go to hell b******!” Henry said in a disappointed tone and nodded at Dave to fire the gun.
Richard’s eyes widened as he watched Dave’s finger touch the trigger. He closed his eyes in anticipation for the gunshot sound.
There was none.
He opened back his eyes to find Dave pulling the trigger continuously, the pistol was obviously empty and they had not meant to shoot his son. He glanced quickly at Henry’s face.
“This man is insane and does not care about the life of his son,” Henry said as he pulled out his gun. He fired two quick shots into Richard’s chest and turned to Dave who was still standing beside the wheelchair. “Return Richard’s son into the car on the street.”
He stretched his hand to stop Cole who was heading towards Richard’s body. “I and Samantha would take care of the body, you track Henson and lets get to him as soon as possible.”
Dave turned with the wheelchair towards the door and Cole also headed for the door. Samantha took out the keys of the manacles and began to open the locks.
Henry stood and watched her with different thoughts running through his mind. He had gotten so much little of what he expected from Richard Brad. The man had been more hardened than he thought, and was even willing to sacrifice the life of his son to keep the secret of the Red Wolves.
However, Henry had still be able to pick out two useful truths from the lies – the invisible terrorists did not only carry out their attacks in a way that makes them invisible, even their private lives of the top individuals were lived out in a way to make them seem invisible. The second truth was incomplete – whatever Henson had to do with Richard Brad definitely had to do with Richard’s purpose for being at Bethanna at that time and there was a high possibility it could lead them to know more plans of the terrorists.
___________________________
EPA Hill, Bexford, Bethanna.
All ten members of the team were present in the large room, in pairs at the different points of the control room. They had their eyes glued to the screens in front of them. The partner sitting directly in front of the computer had an earphone covering both sides of his ears while the other partner got up from his seat often to communicate with another pair at another point in the room.
“Everyone switch to CCTV covering the industry road right away, there’s a suspicious movement around the flyover.” Agent Evelyn announced in a loud voice, loud enough to be heard by the other members of the team in the room.
The tapping sounds in the keyboards testified to the immediate obedience of the female Agent’s order. In less than thirty seconds, they all had switched according to the instruction.
“Two men already visited the fertilizer store after the flyover, it seems three others are on their way, all of them from agricultural firms.” Evelyn spoke out loud as she got up to her feet. “Listen up guys!” She stood at the center of the room. “Each point would follow a particular suspect, one of each pair will follow physically with instructions from the man at the point. Let’s get started with that right away.”
An agent from each point got up as soon as she finished her instructions. They picked some few materials from the table before heading towards the exit.
_______________________
“Dran Agro Allied firm, Industry road, Bexford.” Cole announced loudly to the hearing of the two others in the room with him.
“Dran Agro Allied,” Henry repeated loudly as he put on his jacket and fixed a mouthpiece on the collar. Samantha who was already dressed up stepped closer to him to check his dressing. She picked the artificial beards from the table and helped him carefully attach it to his chin after which she picked the moustache and fixed it for him.
“All good,” she said and tapped him gently on the chest.
“Dran Agro Allied,” Henry said to Samantha as he picked two pistols on the table. Samantha also picked two revolvers and dipped them in her trousers.
20 Minutes Later
Industry Road, Bexford.
“We’ve got to be careful here,” Henry said as they drove through the road. He drove the car with Samantha sitting on his right. “I can see signs of FOX Agents around.”
Samantha glanced at him quickly. She squinted thoughtfully for a moment. “How do I recognize them?”
“They’re not on uniform,” Henry replied her. “I see some cars used by teams I led while I was there.”
“It’s means the FOX Agents are working with them on this road?” Samantha questioned.
“No, these cars are used for investigation. I think it means that a FOX team suspects there’s something fishy here,” Henry answered. “You might have to do all that we need to do here alone, I may not be able to step in openly.”
Samantha glanced at him again. “You’re on disguise,” she raised her brows at him, giving a reason why she wouldn’t have to work alone.
“Light disguise,” Henry pointed out. “The disguise is not heavy enough to stop any member of the FOX who has worked closely with me from recognizing me.”
“So what am I supposed to do with this man?” Samantha asked, looking into the tablet device on her lap. Henson’s photograph was displayed on fullscreen.
“Follow him, get him, get the necessary informa…” Henry was saying when his eyes caught something by the left. “Damn!” He said as he reduced the speed of his driving drastically. “Evelyn is here also, there must be something serious happening in this area.”
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